


Destiny's Path: Silver Millennium

by Immortal Sailor Cosmos (Immortal_Cosmic_Saturn), Immortal_Cosmic_Saturn



Series: Destiny's Path [1]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Silver Millennium Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-09-18 00:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9352604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Immortal_Cosmic_Saturn/pseuds/Immortal%20Sailor%20Cosmos, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Immortal_Cosmic_Saturn/pseuds/Immortal_Cosmic_Saturn
Summary: What if what happened in the Silver Millennium was different? AR where everything is different from what you origianlly thought. StarlightsSenshiShitenno&more. Warning: yaoi&yuriWhat would happen if Serenity’s Destiny was different? If what happened on the Moon was different? What would it do to Usagi's life? To the future of Crystal Tokyo? Would there even be a Crystal Tokyo? This is an Alternate Universe with a different Destiny, and a different time line. Split into 3 parts. The Past, the Present, and the Future.





	1. Chapter 0: Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Please Review, it will tell me how I am doing. If you find any grammar or spelling errors, please tell me, and I will see what I can do about them.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, but I have the Movies and the Manga!
> 
> AN: I would like to dedicate this Prologue to my big brother Kelty, even though the chances of him reading this are nil to none and less. But he did help me out with this and I did get to piss him off while he did it, so this is for you Kelty! As despicable as you may think that is.

The flow of Time was shifting. A dark and perilous future was ahead. Destiny had spoken. The Queen must be told.

\--

All the Queens of the Silver Millennium could foresee a time of great trial ahead. Queen Serenity only hoped that all of the Daughters were about the same age, for if they were to truly need the power of the Planets, the Bond would have to be strong. She only dared dream that her heir did not need to witness the True Bond of the Daughters, but that was a dream that had been chased away by dark and terrible nightmares many decades ago. She prayed that she did not live to see those nightmares realized, although with her lifespan she feared she might.


	2. Chapter 1: Queens Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen Serenity holds the Meets of Queens, when all the Ruling Queens of the Silver Millennium meet together to discuss the System's policies. This year a special ceremony needs to be planned.

~4 years after Prologue~

—Month of November—

Queen Serenity was looking out at the Royal Garden from her bedroom window.

“It is Time, My Queen. They must be told. The Ceremony must be held upon her sixth birthday.”

“So soon? My Ceremony was not until my sixteenth birthday!”

“It is Destiny.”

“Yes, of course. I will begin the preparations immediately.”

With that, the tall, shadowy figure was gone, leaving the Queen alone with her thoughts once more. A small, three year old girl with silver hair that almost touched the ground was frolicking in the lush greenery of the Garden, attended to by her ladies-in-waiting.

Oh, my dearest Serenity... What does Destiny have in mind for you that it would bring this Ceremony upon you at such a young age? Was all the Queen could think as she watched her precious daughter play safely in the soft grasses of the Gardens.

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—Month of December—

Queen Serenity sat in her antechamber and gazed at all the portraits that lined the walls and depicted the Royal Families of the Silver Millennium. Members of the Royal Families were privileged with especially long life and tended to live for about 500 years, whereas the average citizen lived for about 200. Each Planet had a quality that all the occupants of the planet excelled in.

The Royal Family of Pluto had a relatively new King. When the former King had passed away, the Queen had been unable to rule, for she had not been born on the throne. However, their son, Timon, had turned 18 earlier that year, and so he was able to ascend the throne upon his father’s passing. Now, four years later, he had yet to find a bride. The planet Pluto was a scientific planet. Plutonians were the greatest scientists, and the best researchers. Not to mention the second most intelligent planet of the Solar System. They are quiet and observant and very mysterious

The Royal family of Uranus had five children. Andromeda was the only daughter and the same age as Princess Serenity. The Uranian people were the strongest, fastest, most competitive and athletic culture in this Galaxy. They were exceptionally skilled in hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting. They also made decent strategists. They tended to work in pairs, not being keen on big groups, finding small numbers much more effective.

Andromeda and the Neptunian Princess were less than two months apart. The King and Queen had no other children. Neptune is the artists’ planet. The citizens of Neptune played instruments, composed music, and were the greatest painters. They were also a people of grace and elegance; although, that might stem from their artistic talent. The Neptunian people are the third most intelligent race of the Silver Millennium.

Mercurians were known for their amazing intelligence; they accounted for the greatest historians, mathematicians, and doctors and had many researchers and scientists. Queen Amalthea and King Nestor had three children. The youngest was their only daughter, and she had turned three only a few months ago. The young Royals were each three years apart in age.

Martians were known for their military and political knowledge. They also had a strong love of war and battle. They are the best tacticians and politicians that will ever grace this Solar System. Queen Botilda and King Ajax had two children: the Crown Princess of Mars and a new born baby boy.

Queen Drusilla and King Brencis had two children, one princess and a younger prince. Jovian people were the most amazing culinary geniuses that ever lived within the System. They were also the greatest florists. They tended to be slightly more athletic then the average person elsewhere as well, mostly because of Jupiter’s larger gravity. They love all things that nature gives them.

Queen Cassiopeia and King Amarus had two princesses; the youngest was only 8 months old. Venusians were notorious for their knowledge and understanding of love and emotions. Really, they are the greatest psychologists that anyone would ever meet. They are also masters of minerals and metals. If there is a mineral, metal, or even a gem that you need to identify, learn about, or duplicate then you would ask a Venusian. They are also good with sword fighting.

Though it was a part of the Silver Millennium, Saturn did not have a Royal family, because it was uninhabited. The people of the Silver Millennium had tried many times to colonize the planet Saturn in the past hundreds of years, but to no avail. No colonies could ever survive long enough on the planet. Most of the colonists and researchers that were sent there died; the few that survived were mentally unstable afterwards. Some of the ships and computers sent to Saturn were destroyed upon entering the gravitation field. Saturn was a planet of death, and all knew it, although none alive today could say they remembered those lost to the fearsome planet.

Terra was the only planet not part of the Silver Millennium. They were one of the many reasons that the Silver Millennium Alliance had been created. The White Moon Queen that had started all of the treaties had feared that one of the other planets would take advantage of Terra’s weak political and military condition and try to drag her Kingdom down with the Terrains because of its close proximity.

All of the Silver Millennium Kingdoms had always been proud of their daughters. The Kings and Queens and the common man knew that daughters are a great treasure. Sons were never looked down upon, and never forgotten, but daughters were a family’s pride and joy.

Terra valued sons over daughters. They established a patriarchal society making men superior to women. This difference of opinion was still a source of conflict that made dealing with the Terrains quite difficult. They always thought the Queens of the other planets incapable of exceptional governance.

Queen Serenity was fortunate, however, when it came to dealing with the recent Monarchy of Terra. She had been friends with Tellus since before she had married the then prince Orestes and became Queen of Terra. This gave her a friend who would not misjudge her abilities as the Queen of the White Moon Kingdom and Silver Millennium.

Unfortunately, relations with Terra were strained as of late because of other issues in need of diplomatic attention. The Dame Agate had been expelled from the Terrain Court about six years ago, and it had left her in a foul mood. She had made many threats toward the Royal Family and Court. King Orestes was on edge because he knew that she was a very vindictive woman, and she would not hesitate to follow through with her threats if given the opportunity. Queen Serenity only hoped that they would not destroy themselves from within, or take her Kingdom down with them if they did.

Queen Serenity looked away from the portraits and returned her attention to the matter at hand. She needed to call a meeting of the Court of the Silver Millennium. She required assistance in preparing the Ceremony. It took a minimum of five years to plan the Ceremony, and she had fewer than two. This was going to be difficult.

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—Month of January—

Queen Serenity was pacing in her living chambers, thoughts racing through her mind. It was the day before the Meeting of Queens. How am I to tell them… how will they react? We have all sensed the difficulty of the future ahead, so it should come as no surprise that the Ceremony is early. Given, ten years is a bit much, but this…this is different. How am I to make the Queens understand that this time it has to happen? More importantly, how are Tellus and Orestes going to react? Tellus may be open to it, but Orestes will never allow it, and that could spell disaster.

It was rare for any Princess to be born in the same year as another Princess, but to have all the Princesses of the generation born in the same year … This was not the omen Serenity had been hoping for.

They would truly need the Bond this time, there was no denying Fate, for she and Destiny both were making the laws now, and if they did not follow those laws, all of the Silver Millennium could be at stake. But would the Bond be enough? Would the princesses be ready?

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The meeting room of the Court had ten visible individual podiums, although one had been unoccupied for decades. The room was dimly lit, with many dark corners, and only one strong light at the entrance. Each podium had a Sign of a Planet, and glowed with the light that the Sign emitted, and later, with the power of the Queen in it’s seat. 

Queen Serenity was sitting at the Center podium, its Crescent Moon symbol glowing with silver white light. She has only been there for half an hour, but she could sense a power emitting from the farthest corner of the room, near where the unused Podium of Pluto was. This power never bothered the Queen, she had long since gotten used to the power coming from that corner. For all she could tell it had been there long before she had come, and may stay there long after she was gone. The Podium of Pluto was in the furthest corner. The Podiums of the Outer Planets were furthest from the center, although the room may have been bigger than they knew. The Inner Planet Podiums were on the inner circle. Terra and Saturn had both been given podiums when the room was built at the beginning of the Silver Era, although they had never been used.

Each Podium always shown with the light of its Planet. As each Planet had a color, the Podium shown with that same light. Although, Pluto’s color was black, what color the Podium glowed Serenity never knew, for there had not been a Daughter of Pluto to sit in its seat since before her time.

Queen Serenity had gotten to the meeting room two hours early. She wanted enough time to organize her papers before the meeting. She had only been there for about an hour, Any moment now and… A Guard came up to the open doors and announced “Queen Pyrrha of Uranus has arrived, Your Majesty.” Ah, right on schedule…

“Serenity, dear, I hope I’m not too early…”

“Why of course not Py, the meeting only starts in an hour, well an hour and a half if Cassiopeia comes at her usual time. But that just gives you more time to prepare and relax.”

“Ah, *chuckle* yes so it does…” Queen Pyrrha went to her podium and started to organize herself for her possible presentations later that afternoon.

Half an hour had passed and Pyrrha heard foot steps coming form the corridor, “It seems that some one’s coming…”

Queen Serenity looked up at the clock above the entrance doors, “That would be Amy, half an hour early, as always.”

A Guard stood in the threshold of the doors and announced, “Queen Amalthea of Mercury has arrived”

“Serenity, Pyrrha. How are you doing? Well, I would hope.” Amalthea greeted as she entered.

“Amy, everything is as well as could be expected,” stated Serenity as she walked over to Amalthea. They shared a hug and then both went to their respective podiums.

“Amy, did you bring the blueprints?” Pyrrha said as she walked toward the Mercury podium.

“Yes, I did, but they’re not done, I still have a lot of work to do on them. You will get multiple copies once I’m done.” Amy replied, as she took out a folder with the word “Blueprints” written in beautiful bold calligraphy. Pyrrha went to sit back at her podium as Amy started working on the many papers in the folder.

Amalthea was sitting, working on the same blueprint she had started fifteen minutes earlier, when suddenly she looked up “Thetis should be here about…”

“Queen Thetis of Neptune has arrived, your Majesties,” vibrated off the walls as the Guard bowed and left.

“Hello ladies, nice to see that we are all in good heath, yes?” was Thetis’s gracious greeting.

“Ah, yes, as healthy as a winning racer,” was Pyrrha’s strong reply.

“Ah, Amy, I have that instrument you special ordered. It was completed just this morning, finest crafted, fit for a Queen.” Thetis said as she handed Amy the teal wrapped package she had brought.

“Oh, thank you! I was planning on sending for it as soon as I returned home from today’s meeting,” she smiled as she took the package. She turned back to her plans as Thetis went to sit at her Podium near the Pluto corner.

The room was silent for fifteen minutes after that, and then, what seemed like all of a sudden, “Queen Botilda of Mars has arrived.” Queen Serenity jumped slightly in her chair as the announcement echoed off the walls, she turned in time to see the Guard bow to the Queens before leaving. 

“Why Serenity, you look pale! Are you feeling alright?” Botilda said, rushing to the side of the startled Queen.

“Oh, I’m fine, Bo, really, just so much on my mind.” Serenity assured her. “So much to do so little time to get it all done…” she seemed lost in her thoughts as she finished the comment.

“Well, if Cassie would ever bother to get here on time for once, maybe we could start to solve all of these issues!” fumed Botilda.

“Oh relax Bo, Silla isn’t here yet either. You can’t blame them; after all, you only just manage to show up on time to each meeting, even when the meetings are in your own castle.” Was the off handed reply from Pyrrha.

“Well, if you’re sure you’re alright Serenity?” as she was looking the Moon monarch over.

“Oh course I am, really Bo, you worry too much,” Serenity’s nervously replied.

“Actually, in light of the future that may occur, I really think you should try and get some more rest, and maybe seek medical council if you become any more pale,” was Amy’s matter-of-fact opinion on the matter.

“I am inclined to agree with them, Serenity; it is just not like you to be so jumpy, especially with all of us around.” Thetis said as she looked on worriedly. 

“Is there some thing that we should know about?” Pyrrha growled, thinking of any threats she might have brushed off that may be worrying the petite Queen.

“When everyone is here we will discuss all the matters of concern, now really, please do not concern yourselves; I’m fine, really I am.” It wasn’t the strongest of arguments, for all the Queens still seemed unsure if she would break at the slightest glance, but they all dropped the subject none the less.

And so for what seemed like an hour, but was really only fifteen minutes, the Queens were all sitting quietly thinking about what the future may hold

Queen Drusilla walked up to the meeting doors wit the Guard. She could feel the overwhelming desolate and almost desperate sense of despair in the room, and at first she feared that some one had died. 

“Queen Drusilla of Jupiter has arrived, my Queens.” With that he bowed and left the room.

As all the Queens looked up from there various thoughts and tasks, Drusilla knew that it was not death that troubled them, but the knowledge of the unknown. “You know to someone who didn’t know better, you might think someone died in here, with the grim expressions you all have.” She said as a smiled played on the corners of her lips.

Amy looked up with a slightly shocked expression and Pyrrha lightly laughed, and Botilda looked at her with false centre as she said “You never can be serious when you walk into an intense meeting, can you?” But her voice betrayed her, and she couldn’t keep her strait face. She started laughing as soon as the last words left her lips.

With that said, and the mood lifted, Silla knew her work was done. She walked over to her green Jupiter Podium. After all, it will do no good to have a meeting that could decide the fate of the Solar System if all the occupants of the room are all thinking of only the morbid results of their every action.

It was almost twenty five minutes after the meeting was set to start. Cassie had yet to show up. “When is she going to get here? I want to start this meeting! From what you’ve told us Serenity, it is imperative that we begin immediately!” Botilda growled impatiently. 

“Oh Botilda, its not like we can do anything in the meeting if Cassie isn’t here anyway, don’t be so angry, she won’t be here for another five minutes,” was Theist’s dismissive remark. 

“Queen Cassiopeia of Venus has arrived, Your Majesties” The Guard announced. He bowed, as Cassiopeia walked in, quickly shutting the doors behind her. The Queens were alone in the meeting room.

“Cassie, now nice of you to join us, and only twenty five minutes late.” Serenity said with a smile as she looked at the blonde and laughed lightly.

Then a soft amused voice spoke out, “Your clock watching is getting better I presume?”

“Why yes, Amy it has been! So sorry to be late everyone, I really did try to be on time today!” was the Venusian’s sheepish reply as she went to sit at her orange podium.

“Well then, shall we begin the Meeting?” Every occupant nodded. “I, Amalthea of Mercury, call this Meeting of the Queens to order.”

Serenity stood as the meeting began, “The first matter that must be discussed is Terra. We need to make a lasting alliance with them. I already have the means to do that, all I need is you approval.” She looked out at all the Queens trying to gauge their reactions.

The first Queen to speak up was Pyrrha. “Why should we attempt another alliance with Terra? They have never before accepted our peace treaties! Why should we extend the offer of the alliance again year after year? Have they not rejected us enough?” 

The Martian Queen’s reply was in angry accordance with the first, “It makes us look weak, desperate! It’s like we need the alliance to keep Terra from over powering us. It makes us look as though we fear them as an enemy, view them as a threat!” 

The emotional Venusian Queen added, “If we appear desperate they will think that we fear their power, and they may be arrogant enough to attack. A war is highly unadvised when the future is nothing but trials.” 

“Could a battle with Terra be the plight that we sense? There is no way to predict perfectly how the Terrains will react to the Alliance, how we run our Council, or any of our customs and traditions. They may decide that we are better left alone or that we are an enemy that is too close to home.” The intellectual observation of Queen Amalthea rang off the walls holding everyone’s attention for just a moment more.

Then a gracious voice spoke out, “Perhaps this Monarchy is different. After all, Serenity was friends with the young Lady Tellus before she wed, were you not Serenity?” 

“Why yes, Thetis, I was, and I was hoping that that friendship could help us now in the creation of an alliance.” Serenity’s hopeful reply was stated as though, because she had said it, it would be so.

Then there was a light hearted laugh as Queen Drusilla replied, “Who would have guessed that a childhood friendship could aid a Royal Policy. I say we try it. After all, it may seem to the Terrains that we are desperate, but if we cannot make peace in our own backyard, how do you think the other kingdoms of the Universe will feel when we attempt to make treaties galaxies away? I will second the proposal of the Alliance with Terra.”

“Any who object,” Serenity’s emotionless tone asked, one of years of practice and precision. 

None objected, although if asked who approved none would have made a move either. To most of the room it was a necessary evil. 

“So it shall be passed.” No one in the room spoke. They all felt that an alliance with Terra would end badly; it had before, what was there to say it would be different now?

“The next matter for consideration is that of Saturn. It seems that the Plutonian scientist Porphyrios has developed a new atmospheric magic system that could potentially make the planet habitable. He has only just returned to Pluto, I am told, to continue up-grading the systems and structures at home. If this atmospheric system is successful, we should be able to colonize the planet safely. It also seems that he had taken his wife with him. And there has now been what we all thought impossible. While there, his wife gave birth to a child, a child mind you in perfect health.” 

“Who would be the Monarchy of Saturn if we were to colonize it?” Cassie asked in seeming disbelief.

“Why not the scientist and his wife? After all the King and Queen need to be respected by their people, as well as us. And his making it habitable certainly gives him my respect.” Pyrrha said quite rationally.

“That would be a most logical choice; after all, their newborn is the first child of Saturn.” Amy said matter-of-factly as she worked on the papers still sitting on her podium.

“That is similar to the way our families gained the throne, is it not?” Botilda commented, liking the idea more the more she thought of it.

“I make a motion for the Scientist and his wife to be King and Queen.” Drusilla stated with a strong voice, knowing all in the room would agree.

“I second that motion. All in favor raise their hands” Thetis said as she looked to the rest of the room. 

All hands were raised.

“Then when the time comes for the colonization, I will pronounce Porphyrios and Melaina King and Queen of Saturn.” Serenity nodded her head and made note of it in her log, and then prepared to move on.

“And now for the final mater; the princesses themselves. Did any of you stop and think about this generation?” all the Queens give Serenity a puzzled look. “All the crown princesses were born in the same year. I do not recall ever in the history of the Sol System all the princesses of one generation being born within the same twelve months. These girls have been truly blessed by magic.” Serenity spoke with resigned awe.

“Or horribly cursed by Fate” came a voice none cared to know, for all were thinking that same thing.

“I must tell you, that the Bonding Ceremony has been mover to the year of the Princesses’ fifth birthdays.” Serenity said solemnly, all the emotion from her previous statement gone, all the color that hinted in her face lost.

“That gives us just more that a year to plan the Ceremony!” Cassiopeia nearly yelled, in what would have been in any other Queen shocked outrage, but for her was a shocking realization on the edge of fear. She was the youngest of the Queens by far, and she felt no need to control her emotion here in this closed room with only the other Queens around.

“Why ever would such a grand endeavor be altered so drastically?” Amy said, almost morning the lack of logic in such an unwise decision.

“Destiny, isn’t that right, Serenity?” came the matter-of-fact and venomous reply of Queen Thetis.

“How I wish it weren’t.” was the ever humbled and almost broken reply.

“What do we need for the Ceremony?” Botilda was ready to burst. How can we manage all this with so little time?

“The princesses must be there a week or more before.” Drusilla started taking notes as she recalled the ceremony of the present Queens.

“We will need to make a detailed record; these girls will not be able to call upon their memory of this ceremony as we do.” Pyrrha then pulled out a large book from among her things, and began to write. “Everything you do, record, then I will put it all together in this, that way the princesses will not become confused by what they cannot recall.”

“Right! So what do we need and who can get it the quickest?” was the enthusiastic reply of Cassiopeia.

And so the energetic Venusian started to master plan the Event of the Decade, as Pyrrha logged it all in what would now be The Book of Bonding. Everyone was actively exchanging ideas and information in hopes of completing the task that Fate had set before them.

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On the planet Pluto, a small baby girl of only a few weeks slept peacefully in her crib, entirely unaware of what fate lay before her.


	3. Chapter 2: Terra's History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a gimps into the Royal Family of Earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been working on this chapter for more than 10 years. MORE THAN TEN YEAR!!!!!!!!!! You would not believe how HAPPY I was when I finished it last summer. It has no Beta, let me know if the flow is terrible or I missed an edit it needs. Also, I still haven't figured out AO3 formatting very well, so yeah.

**Chapter 2: Terra’s** **History**

—Same Day (as Chapter 1) —

King Orestes was not happy. This was the day of _that_ annual meeting. The meeting _he_ was never invited to.

_I am the King of Earth!_ He just couldn’t understand why _his_ planet was the one left out each year.

_Stupid_ women. _Whoever decided that_ they _should rule must have been out of his mind._ His thoughts raced as he was pacing around his desk.

Queen Tellusa was sitting in an arm chair, off to the side, drinking a cup of tea as she watched her husband circle his desk in the late morning light coming through the window behind him. “If you keep that up you’ll make that poor desk an island.” She smiled, amused at the glare she received for her humorous remark.

“The meeting of the Queens is today!” was his outraged reply to her questioning gaze.

“I realize that.” She said, her look and tone seemed to ask ‘and this is news how?’

Orestes continued his pacing, “Who knows what they’re _plotting_ up there! They probably want to over throw us and appoint another Monarch that they can push around!” The more he spoke the faster he paced, and the madder he became. The Queens were at their annual meeting, and he, the King of Earth, had not been invited _again._ “Queens,” he sneered, “just a bunch of _Queens_ running a Solar System, outrageous!”

“Oh, I don’t know Orestes; they were _born_ to their thrones. They probably grew up taking the same instruction as you did.” Tellusa commented off-handedly as she took another sip of her tea. “And anyway, you are not a part of their alliance.” Orestes glared at that comment. “It is only natural that if you don’t accept their alliance treaty that they not invite you to the meetings of that alliance. It is actually quite a courtesy that they even inform you of their meetings at all.” Tellusa poured herself another cup of tea as she watched her husband sit at his desk, and continued speaking, “And anyway, it is more of a cultural difference, I believe. King Timon was born to his throne, and _he_ never goes to those meetings.”

Orestes grunted at that fact and gruffly replied, “Well of course he would _choose_ not to go. With that bunch of stubborn women, it would be a waste of valuable time!”

Tellusa sighed as she got up from her chair. “Actually, he is not _invited_ to the meetings. It is the Meeting of _Queens_ after all.” And with that she left him to fume in his office all alone.

As Tellusa walked to her chambers she passed a window that looked out into the nearer court yards found in the ever changing maze that surrounded the Royal Palace. She could see her daughter playing amongst the flowers. She smiled lovingly before going on her way.

~*~*~*~

Princess Chrysanthemum was sitting out in the flower meadow near the Palace walls making garlands while her ladies-in-waiting and governess sat nearby and talked quietly. She had a pile of small deep purple flowers, and one violet sitting next to her and she was weaving the stems together into a circlet to match her own golden garland though the purple flowers made a loop that was almost twice the size of her own head. She loved that there were Gold and Silver Chrysanthemums in the garden. She made herself a garland out of them whenever she could, but it usually took her a while to make them, and she could usually only make one at a time before she would have to go inside again. She loved using a violet and darker purple flowers for her father’s garlends, they had some blue flowers that made mother’s Lily-of the Nile flower look good. Her brother usually got some of the lighter purple flowers with the pretty-pink-and-purple Angel Face Rose. It fit him, even if he didn’t think so. At least no one laughed anymore. Not since she cried that first time some said something mean about the garland she made her brother. She was only going to have time to finish one for her father today before she had to go inside, which she didn’t think was fair. Once day she would finish all four at once.

~*~*~*~

It was just after noon, and no one knew where the young Lords had gone. They had disappeared a few hours previously, and had yet to be found. Ever since they were six, and decided that they were old enough to be adventurous, they would find a way to lose their Task Master and disappear into the gardens. All of the staff was certain that that was where they were, because no matter how large the Castle itself was, they were five little boys, and that meant they were bound to be found outside, in fresh air. The fact that when the boys finally saw fit to return to their watchers they were covered in dirt only reinforced the belief.

The Royal Castle of Earth was surrounded in gardens whose paths were endless, and maze like, except that there was no certain beginning, and no end. Getting lost in the gardens was a bit of the point. Though there were courtyards of varying sizes randomly found throughout the maze—some being near the palace, and in fact one large yard had the Royal Arms Training Field—the majority of the property was made up of the rapidly growing hedges, ivies and other thick plant life that constantly changed direction. Some of the plants found deeper in the maze were even poisonous. There was only one path from the royal gates to the entrance of the castle itself, and that was usually made by the palace guard. The many paths often changed from time to time, and since the plants grew so quickly even the artificial paths were never long lived. Anyone who wanted to see the King would have to be personally escorted through the maze, and because of the many turns, and identical ferns and arches of plants it made it almost impossible for anyone to remember the way in. The rest of the garden maze was impassable. No one in living memory could find their way through it to the forest at the castle’s back, and very few dared to try.

So when the Prince and young Lords first went missing in the gardens two years ago, every page, squire and servant that could be gathered without rising suspicion form the King and Queen themselves was made to help find them. Two hours later the boys appeared, near the castle gates, looking nothing more than thoroughly dirty, and slightly annoyed. It had been a pact between all involved that no one was ever to alert the King and Queen to their son’s dangerous wanderings. Even two years later none of castle workers knew where the boys wondered off to, or how they managed to keep from getting lost, and they doubted that the boys would ever tell them.

On this particular afternoon the five boys were laying under a large oak, in a small clearing near the forest.

“I’m _bored_. Isn’t there anything fun to do?” One whined unhappily at the clouds over head. Had there been any attendants around to hear it, he would have been scolded for using a tone of voice unbefitting of a young lord. Although, if there had been any attendants around, they might have been too shocked at the stillness of the group to notice anything else. If there was one thing these boys were very bad at, it was holding still. Very bad indeed.

“Yeah Eddy, Isn’t there anywhere _fun_ we can go explore and stuff? There has to be _something_ to do!” Another huffed indignantly, as though it was Eddy’s fault that the group was bored.

In a way that was true. Being the Prince, the young boy was usually tailed by a multitude of servants, least of which was the Task Mater himself, and whenever the group decided to do something they found _interesting_ , it was always deemed too dangerous or improper for a young Prince to participate in.

This was of course why at the grown-up age of six—after all they had sisters that were _babies_ , so they must be grow up now—they decided to find the end of The Kings Maze. Eddy was supposed to be the next King, so it was his maze too, and if he wanted to explore it, then he could.

They had spent a few hours exploring every few months when the other boys came to visit, and Eddy would spend some time looking on his own between these play dates. Eddy always found interesting things when he was on his own, and he would often find a new path in the maze by himself that he hadn’t found when his friends were with him in the same place.

It took them more than a year, and at least two dozen changed routes, but they had finally found the exit of the maze. That was only a few months ago, and since they have always come to this clearing with this single oak to relax and plan their next great and daring adventure.

"What about the legend of the Forest?" Another boy asked, rolling onto his stomach and pillowing his head in his hands. "Isn't there some big deal thing in the Forest or something?"

Eddy groaned and closed his eyes, trying to think. The other boys looked at him. They should probably know this too, it was part of Earth History, but History was never really an interesting subject, the instructors would never talk about interesting, saying they were too young. They were _eight_ they should so learn all the cool stuff! Finally Eddy sat up, “There is supposed to be a shrine in the forest, that leads to a holy land that gives power to the ruler of Earth, or something. But no one has been able to reach the forest in so long most people think it’s just a story.” He looked into the forest a moment, before standing. “Sure, we might as well see what is in there, it’s not like we didn’t figure out the Maze, already. The forest shouldn’t be much worse.” And so the group of five boys set off. They could explore an hour before they had to head back to the Castle.

~*~*~*~

Back at the palace King Orestes was pacing in his office, mumbling to himself. “Queens, and that Serenity, ruling the whole system. Probably wants to rule the Earth too, and replace the rightful rules with some incompetent woman. But I won’t let them, they won’t push us around so easily.” He sat at his desk finally, and began to write notes and plan.

~*~*~*~

Queen Tellusa sat in the Royal Solarium, working on some lace embroidery. It was always useful to look busy when one wanted to think, few would interrupt her if they thought she had something to do. Orestes was being paranoid again, not that that was unusual. She was quite used to his rants about the other rules, the other Queens, in the solar system by now. She’ll have to come up with something to placate him tonight, if she wanted him calm enough for her to get any kind of sleep.

She would have to come up with something to distract him, the sooner the better. Something for tomorrow would be best, but anything that quick would likely not work out. Perhaps a hunting trip could be arranged, many Lords were at Court today, and the men always enjoyed a hunt. That would take sufficient concentration to get Orestes’ mind off of the Meeting of Queens happening now.

She knew a hunt would take at least a day or two to arrange, so she would have to be ready to sit through another rant tomorrow and try to interject some wisdom or positivity into his rambling. He was always so overly critical of the other Queens, and it always made any dealings with them more difficult than they needed to be. Maybe one day her efforts to make peace would work out. Sometimes she wished she hadn’t had to agree to this marriage, Orestes was so difficult to deal with. And then when thought of her two beautiful children, and decided Orestes and all his moods was worth it, just to have her precious Endymion and Chrysanthemum.

It made her sad that Orestes’ disrespect for the other Queens meant that keeping in touch with them difficult. She was a Noble’s daughter, so she did spend some of her girlhood with them, before they too became Queens. Unfortunately the face that she was only a Lady, and not a Princess, and the fact that the Earth was not part of the Silver Alliance meant that she did not have a particularly close acquaintanceship with the other System Queens, although she had a slightly better relationship than in Queen’s past, at least.


End file.
